No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 317 



timber within the Commonwealth unless some di'astic measures are adopted 

 prohibiting the wholesale cutting of the same. It is not only a matter of 

 removing the merchantable timber, but nearly every party carrying on 

 lumbering operations leaves a dangerous fire slash which at some future 

 time is sure to cause a disastrous fire. These slashes could be prevented 

 and the fii'e danger lessened very materially if a slash law were enacted 

 making it necessary that all such slash be removed or burned. Legislation 

 should be enacted compelling the screening of all portable steam mills, 

 donkey engines, steam rollers, steam shovels and all other coal-burning 

 boilers and locomotives that are in operation in or through forest areas. 



The comparative table on page 312 shows acreage burned, cost to extin- 

 guish and damage caused by forest fires tliroughout the Commonwealth 

 for the past five years. While the loss has been reduced from $537,749 

 for the year 1911 to $80,836 for the present year, it is still greater than it 

 would have been provided we had had efficient fire fighting in every tovm. 

 With the exception of a very few fires, the principal damage was caused 

 by not leaving sufficient help at the fires after they were supposed to be 

 under control. Many fires were left at night uncarcd for, only to be 

 sighted by the observer the following day, and before sufficient help could 

 be procured the fire was again beyond control. Again, we lost heavily 

 in the practice of back-firing, which seems to be the only means that some 

 wardens have of handfing fires. This is absolutely uncalled for. unless 

 in the case of a crown fire. As long as a fire is confined to the ground there 

 is no sufficient reason why it cannot be extinguished without back-firing. 



Nearly all our serious fires were confined to the eastern part of the State. 

 We had no serious fires west of Worcester County, and the Cape country 

 was without any damaging fires, as compared with previous years. The 

 principal cause of fires in the Cape country in the past has been the use 

 of defective locomotives. An effort has been made this season to over- 

 come this trouble, special attention having been given to all locomotives 

 running through the Cape country, with the result that very few fires 

 have been started from this source. 



The comparative table on page 312 shows that our losses were held 

 very low until we experienced the severe drought dm'ing the month of 

 October. While the month of June was exceptionally dry, with only .53 

 of an inch rainfall, our loss was held, down to practically $12,000. The 

 most serious fires occm-red between October 15 and October 23. On 

 Sunday, October 20, we had 51 fires burning in nearly as many towns, this 

 being the record day of the season. These fires were confined to Norfolk 

 and Plymouth counties. 



We have been extremely fortunate this year in obtaining reports of 

 fires. We have been able to have reports of practically every fire that 

 caused any damage of importance. This is undoubtedly due in a measure 

 to a small fee we have allowed each warden for such reports. As is indi- 

 cated by the table on page 312 thesereports show that 35.1 per cent, of all 

 the fires reported to this office were of unknown origin. Many of these 

 were undoubtedly caused by people traveling along highways and through 



